Making One's Circumstances
by HolmesSlice
Summary: Naomi couldn't believe it. Involved in Hikaru and Kaoru's scheme leaves to misunderstandings. Will Naomi be able to clear it up with Kyouya? Will she be at the mercy of the twins? Kyouya x OC Tamaki x Haruhi
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: OC characters belong to me. All else belong to their respective owners and creators. I'm just a broke adult who likes to write for fun.**

**Making One's Circumstances**

**Chapter One**

Sakuriki Naomi felt her head throb painfully as she witnessed the Hitachiin twins mischievously confess to their friends that it was indeed a scheme on getting Tamaki to realize his feelings for Haruhi. She cocked her eyebrow at the bumbling Tamaki who was unlike who she'd spoken to all the times in the past. Definitely before the twins' confession about their scheme which seemed to have gotten their desired results. Tamaki was certainly an emotional individual but before he would be able to get his feelings known no matter how comically or exaggerated. The blushing, stammering blonde who was so incapable of not only accepting his romantic feelings but admitting them—seemed so foreign to Naomi.

"So this is Suou Tamaki-san when he is in love," she thought casually as she continued to stare at the blonde who was flailing and blushing so badly he resembled a cherry. "An un-popped cherry?" Naomi joked to herself.

To add insult to injury, he now seemed to completely forget that she was leaning on one arm watching the entire group. Their past conversations and his being a return customer made no importance now. He had serious tunnel vision and it was obvious who was his "bright white light." Naomi stared at Haruhi who was equally blushing either from love and excitement or annoyance most likely a combination of all three. The Hitachiin twins beamed while Kyouya looked toward Haruhi with an expression that if Naomi didn't know better seemed as if he was hiding his affection for her.

"He's the one that will sacrifice his own chance for romance for his best friend," Naomi thought, the heavy thoughts metamorphosed into a headache that could easily become a migraine. "It's sweet and impressive but also a bit depressing (for me)," Naomi sighed frustrated with where her thought had taken her. She did not understand at all. Her frustration and confusion made her desperately want to feed her nicotine fix. If only her shop allowed smoking. Naomi frowned but kept silent watching the true story unfold in front of her and not the one she thought she was a part of. "Silly girl," Naomi thought chastising herself. She was silly for assuming she was anything more than the shop keeper Tamaki would converse with from time to time.

It seemed that the Hitachiin twin's scheme involved "two-bit" players as they called them.

Naomi made a click her tongue when she had heard the "players" of two-bit players. She had not been the only one then? From what she could make out there was a "Bossa-nova kun" which Naomi deduced as being Kasanoda-kun from high school. There seemed to be a few more to their playbill. She did not listen with rapt attention to save herself the embarrassment when she might felt privy to launching herself over the counter and strangling one of the twins. It wouldn't matter which one any of the two would have been fine.

Yet in spite of their hurtful scheming everyone seemed so pleased with these harlequins. Naomi shook her head in complete and utter disbelief. She felt the same way she had when she had watched the ending of Audrey Tautou's film "À la folie... pas du tout." Unlike that situation which merely tossed a curve ball this time this curve ball had slammed into her gut knocking the wind out of her.

Naomi looked around her pie shop and watched their group and a smattering of couples that sat around sharing slices of pie together and sighed again. She held a bittersweet smile as the gears worked overdrive in her mind. She realized that she had to get these negative feelings out of her. She did not need or want them poisoning the pies she would make in the late afternoon for the evening rush. That would not be good.

What better way than a new pie creation? Sweets were the salve for the hurting heart and soul. One slice was often more than enough to calm the most hostile tempest. What a tempest roared in her head. She stared at the back of the Hitachiin twins' head's and narrowed her eyes. She quickly decided that for the Hitachiin pie it would have to be a two level flavored pie. It didn't take long for her to decide on that a dark chocolate ganache would be ideal top layer. It's bittersweet taste was perfect because it accurately captured the joyfulness that exuded from the twins that usually came with a darker undertone that wasn't to the taste of many. "Like right now," Naomi groaned as she continued to stare, "They're really not to my taste at all."

The gears in her brain continued to crank as the chocolate ganache top layer was perfect for another reason. The chocolate ganache in turn would disguise of what held underneath. The second layer through a wrench in Naomi's gears. She couldn't really decide on what flavor would work with the ganache but that would accurately describe the twins. Naomi bit her lip as her eyes focused on the pretty tile of her shop. "Think, think, think" Naomi's mantra continued until she widened her eyes and smiled.

A sweet potato and yam filling would be best as it was definitely a flavor that worked well with chocolate but was not expected. As much as the twins were pests she had to give them some benefit of the doubt. Perhaps under that bittersweet facade and hijinks laid people she wouldn't expect if she got to know them. Naomi wouldn't hold her breath but she was willing to put that on the list of "possible."

To complement these two flavors a heavily spiced crust would enhance and bring out the polarizing nature of the chocolate and sweet potato and yam filling. Naomi then let out boisterous but short laugh. By having lots of fiber the yam and sweet potato filling had one more thing in common with the twins: the onslaught of crap that would have to deal with. She laughed at her very vulgar train of thought but immediately frowned at the group now staring at her.

They had the nerve to stare at her in spite of all she had to deal with this past year. Here she had to bitterly realize that in the end she was nothing more than the pie lady even to someone like Tamaki who she'd believe to be a friend. Like the bartender she was simply this iconic figure that listened to her customers and instead of doling out shots of liquor she dished out slices of pie. They returned to their conversations and everyone wanting to know how it all played out. She knew the story well enough and because she was only some two bit player they'd only mention her as a mere general idea in passing.

They all shared a laugh unknowingly at Naomi's expense. Kaoru chuckled and sighed as he recounted the girl entering the ball room. He had noticed immediately how much work she had put into it all and that had meant she was very serious in confessing her love to Kyouya. Hikaru chimed in snickering and making a joke that alluded to her being like Julia Roberts. Though Kaoru chimed in about not being nearly as hot as Julia. Naomi counted to ten and back as she realized which movie he was referencing.

"Pretty Woman my foot," Naomi thought hotly, "Here I was sincerely attempting to confess that I only liked Ootori-kun and was impressed by him, not confess my freaking undying love. Oh, and I looked hot thank-you-very-much!" Hikaru continued his wildly inaccurate story of a fan-girl who had dolled herself up so much it'd be difficult to differentiate her from any host in Shibuya.

Still no matter how upset Naomi could feel herself becoming, her mind thought back to the night of the Annual Ouran Alumni ball.

_*flashback*_

She had gotten an offer like no other in her life time. She was normally grounded enough to avoid these offers like the plague. Yet, when she had the chance to tell Kyouya her feelings how could she say no? She had arrived at the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo and could feel her eyes widen as she took in the grandeur of the hotel. The Alumni committee had reserved the entire hotel for the evening and if so desired an overnight stay. They had the Peacock and Fuji room completely decked out in sheer opulence. The theme that year had been Russian luxury. It had been as if everyone had stepped out of 1920s Russia prior to its Revolution in all its various forms from donning 1920s fashion to opting out to very regal ball gowns.

Naomi had also been fully decked out in the same fashion. She wore her hair in a simple chignon with small wavy tendrils framing her oval face. She also wore headband that had a diamond-encrusted gecko pin to the right side of Naomi's head. Her flapper styled dress ended at her knees that had tassels attached to all over the dress so that when she moved she looked like a shimmering snow goddess. She wore vintage open toe shoes with a modest two inch heel. The look was finished off with simple make up and rouge for her cheeks and lips. Naomi was the epitome of art deco fashion.

Naomi entered the Peacock ballroom a complete nervous wreck. These events or the people that attended them were hardly worth getting nervous over. However she noticed everyone staring at her and she could only think about her confession that she was going to do to Ootori- san. Naomi walked further into the ballroom with her head held high. She heard their whispers and it seemed most were wondering exactly who she was. If they only knew then most likely they'd say a lot more cruel things than they were saying now. Despite this, it brought a small blush to Naomi's cheeks to have everyone comment on how lovely she looked.

Naomi did not know any one at the ball and didn't feel inclined to meet any one. She felt that if she got too chummy with any given person they'd might be able to figure out who she was. That was the last thing she wanted to have happen right now. Her half-sisters always went out of their way to let her know how much her presence was not wanted or appreciated. Since she was very young, she had been shunned by her father's family. Her mother was far more affected by this then she was. All she had known was that she could live the life she wanted and she was very happy to live in her small fort. The small fort was a very small one room apartment that was forcibly multi-functional. It was her bedroom, the kitchen, the living room, and above all her castle. One the walls of the apartment was attached with tape all of her drawings of princesses and princes with large castles and horse-drawn carriages.

After that one fateful afternoon with father's side of the family, her mother had become very angry with Naomi. She had cursed at her and made her take down her pictures. Naomi's mom was very focused on making Naomi see life for what it was. It was not about castles, or horse-drawn carriages or fairy tales. It was about heart ache, survival and one's will to survive. Naomi had become very introverted as her mother suffered at the hands of her father's family and the denial of acceptance her mother craved.

"Accepted by these people?" Naomi said sadly, looking around the throngs of gorgeously dressed people who were not only wealthy but acted wealthy. She could never understand what could be so impressive about "noble families." Then she met Ootori-sempai as an upcoming freshmen. He had caused her to see nobility with a far less critical eye. She had been a freshman and had been assigned to be in Ootori-sempai's group as he gave a tour of the campus. It seemed that Suou-sempai had thought it a most glorious idea to have the seniors that were graduating that March give tours to the upcoming freshman who would coming that April. The goal was to have the seniors give nuggets of wisdom to their freshmen that would be starting the following month.

"If you want to succeed then work all your might at succeeding," Ootori-sempai said simply while the girls giggled themselves into a frenzy.

"And if circumstances don't allow?" Naomi said in a voice that echoed her disbelief. It'd be far simpler for someone like him to succeed than someone like her. Ootori-sempai looked at Naomi and nodded.

"Make your own circumstances, make your own vehicle that can drive you to success."

"I'm sure made easier for someone like yourself, Ootori-sempai," Naomi said bitterly and completely disbelieving sempai's advice. Ootori-sempai stared at the young freshman who appeared already very experienced with the unfairness of the world and had a very large chip on her shoulder.

"Not so," Ootori-sempai said clearly, everyone in their group was listening intently, "while I am from a very prestigious family, I am the third son. With being the third son comes immeasurable burdens because I must surpass my two elder brothers. However it would have to take more than excellent grades as my brothers maintained excellent grades throughout their academic careers. Furthermore I have the burden of excelling in a field even more so than my elder brothers have already excelled in their respective careers. So while it may appear "easy" I assure that I have my own obstacles to overcome."

"Have you overcome those obstacles, Ootari-kun," one of the other girls said cheekily adding the "-kun" instead of sempai. Naomi looked at the brash girl and then at Ootori-sempai who didn't seem too pleased with the girl's cheekiness but ignored it by plastering a small smile and a tilt of his head. Naomi did not like his smile very much it was too predatory. She decided to press on because like it or not, she was curious.

"Have you," Naomi asked quietly, "Ootori-sempai?"

"Yes," Ootori-sempai nodded beaming at Naomi's manners, "I am working diligently so that I might not mar my family's reputation. To let you three in on a secret, I recently bought out my father's company."

"You're still in high school! That is so incredible!" The two other girls rang out in true fan-girl fashion. Their shrills were drowned out by Naomi's questions.

"What are you planning on doing with the company, Ootori-sempai?" Naomi asked.

"I am going to allow my father to manage the company," Ootori-sempai said proudly with a hint of a devilish smirk. Naomi laughed and decided that aside from his predatory smile she liked this devilish man with glasses. It was a shame she'd probably never see him again but he had left an impressionable mark.

The brash girl was finally brave enough to ask Ootori-sempai about the host club and whether or not it was possible to meet the others. Ootori-sempai looked at all of the girls and explained that it was the end of their tour and it would not be a problem to have them have a sneak peek, for a fee of course. The two girls gladly shelled out some of their allowance to be allowed to attend the host club. Ootori-sempai had even let them in on the fact they could order a copy of Spring collection of photobooks. The two squeed with delight. Ootori-sempai turned to Naomi who had not been paying attention to their discussion on the Host Club.

"Will you be attending with us?" Ootori-sempai inquired.

"No, I have my own circumstances to make and I can't lose any more time." Naomi turned around and started to walk away, when she turned and smiled, "Thank you very much Ootori-sempai for the life lesson. It wasn't lost on deaf's ears."

"You're welcome," Ootori-sempai smiled and turn to take the two girls to the top floor of the South Campus.

_*end of flashback*_

With the story of how Naomi confessed to Kyouya was actually very accurate much to Naomi's chagrin. She couldn't believe that she had done what she had done. Due to the crowds and her being enamored with the glamorous food she'd nearly missed Kyouya. She heard that he was on the helicopter landing pad and was about to take flight. She had done the spontaneous thing of running up to the launch pad so that she could confess to him.

The helicopter roared and was already a foot off the ground. She had run barefoot to the edge and screamed her confession. It was a mixture of a confession of liking him immensely and being impressed with him with a large pinch of thank you. It had been his advice after all that made her have the nerve and guts to pursue to succeed in school then later choose the path that suited her in spite of family. Then she had seen Haruhi next to Kyouya and her heart sank more than it should have. Definitely more than she wanted to admit or was ever willing to admit.

Kyouya explained that the girl must have confessed her love to him however the roar of the helicopter made it difficult for him to hear completely. He continued by telling the group on how hurt she seemed by seeing Haruhi with him. It made him believe that she had indeed confessed her love and was heartbroken to see Haruhi with him. Naomi wanted to die a slow and tedious death. Not only had none of them recognized her as the "cocktail story" but Kyouya didn't even hear her confession that was mostly a huge thank you. To make things far more painful, she could see Kyouya in many ways wanting what the girl thought to have been true.

"So as you can see, Tono," Kyouya said quietly, "I went with Haruhi to make you think something that was not entirely true. It was the starting point of making you aware of your feelings."

Tamaki stared at Kyouya then shifted his gaze to the twins, "How did you even set this up?"

"It all started with this gal we had met prior to the yearly Ouran alumni ball last year" one of the twins started to drone on. Their true intention was that by having this girl confess her feelings to Ootori-kun in such a dramatic flair would make for great conversation for future cocktail parties their respective families held.

So she really was to be nothing more than a cocktail story. Naomi grimaced and stared hard at the pies she had in her display case. It was all merely for giggles that she was told to be brave and pursue Ootori-kun. However it seemed they'd entirely forgotten who the "cocktail story" was and how she was now slumped over the display case uncomfortably listening to their story only feet from them and was now unable to turn away. Naomi had to have been a deep seeded masochist-why else stay and listen?

Naomi felt her breath hitch and felt she was in another place and time. She could still feel the humidity of that summer day, the hum of the cicadas, and the roar of traffic of that day and the lovely walk from the station to Opirrin Towers. She recalled all that had taken place in the lobby of the headquarters of the CEO with a soft sad and frustrated annoyance.

_*begin flashback*_

She was sitting in her seat minding her own business waiting to speak to her biological father also known as sperm donor when two very outgoing twins flanked her sides. She looked up and noticed the twins smiling at her.

"What's a beautiful girl like you doing in a fuddy duddy place like this?" They said in unison and she tilted her head staring from one twin to the next.

"Substitute beautiful girl for handsome twins and I could ask you both the same thing," Naomi said while smirking at the two boys.

"Touché." the softer spoken twin said with a cheerful lilt in his voice.

"Hn, I was never too good at math so it wouldn't matter anyways," the other who was much more diabolical said in a sarcastic tone.

"That's not true," the soft spoken twin said with a sad pitiful smile, "You shouldn't put yourself down because it's like you're putting me down."

The diabolical twin who had a mischievous streak as difficult to miss as it would be to miss neon green moved to the other's side instantly as he passionately hugged him, "I'm so sorry to have hurt you. I never meant to slight you, you are my most beloved."

Naomi smiled and remembered exactly who the twins were. The famous Ouran host club twins that fed into the fan-girl frenzy by role-playing the "twincest" angle. It had brought a lot of memories mostly of her half sisters and their love for the twins and the chibi Honey-sempai. She also equally remembered her admiration of Ootori-sempai during high school. She closed her eyes briefly recalling his high school picture and could say he was attractive. She'd never been able to say it was love because after all it was mostly sex appeal and being an impressionable freshman. She turned to Hitachiin Kaoru and smiled.

"Hitachiin Kaoru-san" she said softly, "how have you been since Ouran? What have you been doing?" This elicited a comical look from Kaoru whose eyes were now as wide as saucers which made Naomi smile.

"You could tell the difference?" He said what seemed in mock disbelief. Naomi figured they'd not believe that she had been able to tell the difference but she felt like explaining regardless of this fact. Especially since they had decided to go back to their natural hair color.

"Of course, it wasn't difficult if you paid enough attention to your personalities. You and your brother's personalities were night and day to me. I never said anything because it didn't and wouldn't make much difference. I was your kōhai and it would have seemed as if I'd come across as some silly idiotic fan-girl when I simply have astute observation skills." She remembered the few times they were asked to talk about their life at the university during her school years.

"Amazing," the twins said simultaneously but Naomi didn't know what to make of the glint in their eye if it was natural playfulness or something more calculating, "Did you ever come by the host club?"

"Ah no," Naomi smiled, "I had more interest in maintaining a 4.3 GPA and the little life I had outside of school."

"Never had a crush on one of us," Hitachiin Hikaru said hinting heavily on that her crush was most likely one of the twins but Kaoru added, "or another host club member?"

"I never said that." Naomi shook her head gently, "I did have this silly infatuation on Ootori-sempai but I knew better. I mean I was a first year and he was a first year at university for one thing and that was only one of many reasons why I realized it was a silly crush."

Naomi continued despite their obvious disbelief that a girl liked Ootori-sempai "Save the education and boarding I got from the place thanks to my dad; Ouran, my crush, or the host club never held enough interest to pursue. I am still grateful for the opportunities it lent me for when I studied in the States and England."

"You know English?" They asked in perfect unison.

"Yes," Naomi said, "I do."

"Say something in English!" They both demanded.

"Hello my name is Kyuusho Naomi," she said plainly as it was generally enough to say a simple phrase to stop people from pestering her. Thank goodness though she had enough sense to remember the pseudonym she had used in high school. That was one of the clauses she happily agreed to when her father was willing to pay for her education.

"We can say that," the twins said grouchily, "say something that takes more skill!"

"All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages." Naomi smiled as they looked in awe.

She saw Hikaru take out his phone, dial a number and held it up to her ear. She heard a pure American Texas drawl answer the phone. Her jaw dropped as Hikaru said to have her help them break up with the American women. Naomi scowled when she heard the young woman answer.

"Hello? If y'all don't stop pranking me I'm gonna go call the au-thor-ities!"

"Sorry but I'm representing the Hitachin twins and it seems they've expressed an interest in cutting ties with you."

"You're gonna have to speak in plain English I can hardly understand your accent."

"They want to break up with you and are just not into you!" Naomi said heatedly. "Accent my foot" she thought since the Texas girl had an accent that was as unintelligible. The Texan girl started hollering into Naomi's ear as Hikaru hung up on the girl and blocked her number.

"Thank you!" They said in unison, "For your services we'll offer some advice."

"Advice?" Naomi questioned looking at the two confusedly.

"There is the annual Ouran alumni ball and you should confess your love to Kyouya!" Hikaru took out a card and handed it to Naomi.

"What's this?" She said looking at the elaborate business card for their mother's business.

"It's your ace card!" Kaoru said happily.

"Present this card to my mom's salon and they'll dress you to the nines. They'll give you the most luxurious spa treatment, offer stylists to help choose your outfit, style your hair, your make up… everything." Hikaru explained to Naomi.

Normally Naomi would say no to this sort of thing but the prospect of seeing Kyouya while dressed so beautifully made her feel butterflies in her stomach. She uncharacteristically and enthusiastically accepted their offer.

_*end flashback*_

"Unbelievable," Naomi whispered as they gave a very stunted recollection of what transpired in the lobby. They had reduced her to this imbecile who misquoted the Shakespeare quote they now said flawlessly in English. She cocked an eyebrow and figured that they had learned how to say this passage perfectly as to have the girl appear more idiotic. What was more insulting was that they said that she had probably gotten into Ouran and the Ivy League universities due to her father and not her brains. They even alluded to her sleeping around to maintain that "4.3" GPA they joked.

They then comically and inaccurately mimicked the fan girl squeals and phrases she said when she was was talking about "Ootori-sempai." Her heart clenched painfully because it was further from the truth. As if they were displaying their true thoughts on class and status they kept making fun of a woman who thought she could pursue such a high class man such as "Ootori-Kyouya san".

It seemed Naomi mused that even in this day and age they still held those funny little ideals of class and society. Even if Tamaki wasn't really a true "pedigree" as she heard their own describe themselves, his being a guy and her being a girl affected how they were both received by others. Needless to say, Tamaki was definitely treated much more kindly due to the fact that he was of a nobler family and a male. She huffed angrily.

Haruhi had to have sensed Naomi's tension because she urged them to stop them from being too mean. Naomi couldn't help but wonder if Haruhi realized she was the cocktail story and was trying to save the twins from further cases of foot-in-mouth. That or it could be simply she didn't want to hear the truths she didn't want to face about the twins. The rest of the group else stayed relatively quiet either because of habit or simply enjoying their slice of pie or were simply amused by the twins' story. Whatever it was at this point Naomi was skeptical of the entire group even Ootori kun seemed somewhat amused which hurt her very much. It hurt and angered Naomi that it they'd do this to any person even more so that it was done to her.

She definitely like her mixed feelings about Ootori-sempai. She groaned as she reached for a slice of apple pie.

**-Chapter One End-**

_**To be continued **_

**Author's Note:**

**1.** Regarding the twins I figured an "in defense" type of disclaimer was necessary. To me they are harlequins through and through. However I do believe that how they're perceived depends solely on the history any given character has with them. Naomi for example doesn't have the best history with them and will in turn criticize them more harshly. Whereas the members in the Host Club have had a mixture of good, bad and great moments with the twins so they're in many ways able to judge them more accurately. With that said, I do have every intention of having a redeeming moment for the twins in which Naomi can concede they're not devilish imps well not entirely.

**2.** I will also give a bit of history of how this story came to being. I have the Ouran soundtracks and the track "Shissou" which is the anime's ending song caused me to think into great detail this great "movie sequence" chain-of-events. With each part of the song I dreamed up how I wanted the scene to move to the next. The scenes was that of a beautifully dressed girl who realizes that she's nearly missed her chance in confessing to Kyouya. Of course the details of it have changed dramatically. The original called for her stealing Kaoru's motorbike and trekking to the helicopter launch pad. Then in Hana Yori Dango fashion, she was going to leap up to catch onto the rail at the bottom of the helicopter hoist herself up and confess to Kyouya. Unbelievable, right? Well it'd definitely have been dramatic! More so when she'd see Haruhi next to Kyouya!

**3.** Something else that I hoped I conveyed in this chapter was this sort realization that Naomi wasn't necessarily the "heroine" in year prior to this chapter. When she thought she was a friend she was merely an iconic figure that listens to one's problem. When she thought her confession was heard, it was not and to make things worse Kyouya probably thinks of her as some fan girl. When she thinks that she part of some mischievous plot by the twins she realizes she was some "two bit" character when in actuality Haruhi was the "heroine."

**4.** How that was portrayed in my head was in a sort of j-drama form. With Naomi talking to the camera completely dumbfounded and annoyed when she realizes that the only camera interested in her was the one in her own head. The cameras are now more interested in Haruhi and Naomi was very much like "I thought I was the heroine."

**5. **I have an active imagination and a weird one at that. :3

**6.** Does Naomi love Kyouya? Well I want to have her discover these feelings on her own in her own way. Be it bluntly or through pies. Basically she thought he was attractive and really who wouldn't? Then add the fact that where she is now is due in large part because of Kyouya. So it wouldn't be any suprise why she think of him fondly. Because of her past, I wanted her to sort of struggle and come to terms with those feelings-no matter the circumstance and no matter the results.

**7.** About the pies... if something is not apparent yet, then let me make it clear: I am heavily influenced by movies and music and books. I don't intend to plagiarize nor do I. Regarding the pie baking, I will go into more detail as to why she chose this path so it will be answered. I will also go into further detail as to what circumstances Naomi created for herself.

**8.** I will not try to make any characters out of character except if a situation calls for it. Since I believe that the character development we have seen (and I will say that the mangaka does a good job in doing this) was for the sake of progressing the Tamaki and Haruhi story.,

**9.** So please review :) Reviews make me very happy. Honestly I hope you guys like it. Also please comment on my story format. Thank you so much! Regarding the honorifics, I am using them to better show the relationships in the story and if there are any mistakes then sorry! I used Wikipedia to help figure out what honorifics to use and when. See you in chapter two!

**Edit (11/10):**

**10.** I edited my chapter. I made it easier to tell when and where flashbacks started simply for ease of reading. I also did some edits to sort of have the flashbacks peel back to reveal who was involved etc.

**11.** Did I mention reviews? Please, please, please review! orz I would love to know what you thought. You didn't like it? Tell me. Did I have some nasty grammar monsters attack my chapter? Please tell me. What do you think of the story? Like the characters? Dislike the characters? You love the story? Tell me. Thanks! Onto editing chapter two then releasing chapter three. Then I should have no problem in future releases...

**12.** About that sorry for the hiatus. I had some family events and harddrive reinstalls.. Meaning I lost a lot of my work. So I have to have edit through my story remember where I was and then get back on track.

**Edit (11/10):**

**13:** Finally added that disclaimer! _;


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** OC characters belong to me. All else belong to their respective owners and creators. I'm just a broke adult who likes to write for fun.

**Making One's Circumstances**

**Chapter Two**

The rest of the night carried on with everyone laughing and reminiscing about Ouran. The group had a lot of memories and shared a great number of laughs and inside jokes. Kaoru took out his senior yearbook from his messenger bag and began to skim the pages. Tamaki instantly skipped to his side looking at all the glossy pages that were filled with picture after picture of photo-shoot quality photo spreads. Of course there were families that were either from scholarships or from families who simply couldn't afford the extravagance of hiring Annie Lebowitz to do their senior pictures. It was these pictures that were commented on and heavily.

Then they moved on the second-year pictures and were making their usual comments and gossiped heavily about what they'd heard about the families. Surprisingly most of this information was told by Kyouya. It was as if he were an amazing encyclopedia, filled with short outlines of most of the more well-known and noble families. Such as who married who, who got divorced and who had been found in the back of a limousine with a few male prostitutes from a local club. Naomi couldn't help but smirk at the gossip that was being spoken by Kyouya. While it had been bit of a surprise to Naomi, she remembered it had not been the first time she came across this socialite-encyclopedia that was Ootori Kyouya.

_*begin flashback*_

The door to the Host Club was remarkably ill-fitted for the activities that took place behind the door. Unfortunately for Naomi, she had not known what lay behind this door only that like a previous stranger, she was in dire need of a place to study. It was difficult to commute to her apartment and study. The apartment was very small and her neighbors were boisterously loud. Then the fact that they had a very small child only added to the difficulty of studying at home. So her only choice was to study at after school on one of the campuses. She always snuck on over to the high school campus to explore, and of course, study. As a student of middle school, she always felt an elated thrill of doing something that was considered against the rules. It seemed oddly funny to her that she was breaking the rules and acting rebelliously all to study. Her last class was an independent study of English as she already spoke English with a proficiency that surpassed most of her classmates. She successfully urged the school to allow her independent study that had her studying English with the specific emphasis of verbiage within realm of business. To ensure that her independent study was on par with her classmates' English class the instructor added emphasis on essays on various topics that had to do not only with business within their country, but international business, with another field of her choice, which was the medical field.

Naomi took this opportunity to use the freedom that had been granted to her. She decided to study all over the campus and find special spots where her studying could go on uninterrupted. Unfortunately, it had been one of those days were all her spots were occupied and to make matters worse, the precipitation meant that studying outside was definitely a no go. Naomi only grunted and cursed, as others looked at in a shocked way that amused Naomi greatly. She never got over how sheltered some of the students were and got a tremendous kick when she'd pepper her speech with slightly vulgar words that sometimes have insults voiced in return. A favorite of hers had been, "That's a commoner for you," spoken in perfect Japanese. They'd also make some comment about why a middle schooler was on the high school campus but never felt inclined to pursue the matter further. That was the circumstance that led her to stand before the door that unknowingly to that world.

She entered the room and the rose petals seems to magically cloud her vision as five full fledged bishounens came into view. The last young man seemed out of place with the other five. While participating didn't seem to enjoy what he had been doing. Then she saw him, in his all of his "shadow king" perfection coming near. Her heart beat missed several beats and she realized that it was the teen who'd given her the tour. He had irrevocably changed her life and her circumstances yet he'd be most likely unaware of this. How could he remember one insignificant freshman? She studied his form briefly as he neared. Everything about him was the epitome of the upper class that much she could tell. Everything about he behaved, moved, and smirked screamed the most elite of the elite. He was in short, the crème of the crème, the cream of the creamiest crop. It didn't hurt either that he was gorgeous. He was drop dead gorgeous. She hitched her breath as she stilled herself into calmness as the last thing she wanted was being another fan girl.

"Oh," Ootori-sempai smiled, "it's you, so you have decided to take a detour and finally visit the Host Club? You did decline when I invited you."

"Huh?" Naomi sputtered out, she had been caught completely unawares. He had remembered her and she couldn't believe it, and responded lamely still dealing with her shock which immediately caused her to cringe at her lameness "—ah, yeah."

Kyouya smiled at the shocked girl who stared pointedly at his chest. It amused him greatly to see her so genuinely surprised that he'd remember their encounter. He witness the girl sigh heavily.

"Does it upset you that I remembered?" Ootori sempai asked, a smirk ghosted his face before he tilted his head and smiled, waiting for an answer. Naomi looked up at him and wondered if he asked merely for his own amusement or out of sincerity. She studied for several moments, watching his smile falter. She concluded with a smirk that it had to have been the first.

"No, no," Naomi responded quietly, shaking her head, "I simply didn't expect you to remember me much less one specific incident." 'that caused me to slowly develop a crush on you.' The last bit left unspoken but caused her heartbeat to beat rapidly, and the palms that were becoming damp. She pressed herself to continue, feeling as if she needed to explain. "I was simply looking for a place to study."

"Ah, that seems to be a common occurrence with commoners!" Hikaru piped in, as Kaoru joined in.

"Haruhi-chan also met us while looking for a place to study," Kaoru smiled, "then we invited him into the club!"

Naomi looked back at Fujioka-san and they both nodded and smiled. She took her time to properly digest the scene before her. It was a harem, pure and simple. She wondered how the Host Club was allowed to exist but realizing who were in the club, it was easy to see why they were allowed. Naomi looked to each of the groups where gaggles of girls were giggling and squealing. The Hitachiin twins were already distracted by a group of girls who were missing their presence despite their being gone only several moments. Naomi studies each of the groups more closely and it dawned on her what was each host club member's angle.

"So I see," Naomi said, nodding, "the twincest, the loli, the silent type, the prince, the guy next door or commoner and the shadow king."

Kyouya smiled and nodded, "There's really not much interest in the Shadow King, I'm afraid. I believe balancing books holds little interest to the women. However according to Renge san, I am the cool, mysterious type mostly due to my glasses."

"Really now?" Naomi looked up at Kyouya and smiled, "I see! You're like that character from that dating sim game."

"You play?" Kyouya said wearily, squinting his eyes.

"Not really," Naomi said, laughing, "Friends of mine have the game. I find it really boring, I mean, dating in real life seems much more fun."

"I agree," Kyouya smiled, and smoothly asked, his words laced with innuendo, "You go on dates often then?"

"What? No! Of course not, I'm only saying they're a lot more fun than being holed up in your room!" Naomi coughed and sputtered, a blush creeping up her neck up through her face.

"Ah, I see, I see," Kyouya said, smirking, he looked at the girl who was becoming more and more flushed at his innuendo but at the same time a bit bored by the club, "Well it seems the Host Club doesn't hold much interest for you but then you're busy creating your own circumstances, yes?"

"I still find it hard to believe you remember!" Naomi said, smiling as she followed Kyouya back to his laptop, "I do have some Host Club business though now that I think about it. I might as well get it done and over with."

"Oh?" Kyouya said with a questioning face and instantly turned to his businessman side "What can I do for you today?"

"I heard from some classmates that the new Fall photobook is going to be out soon, and I need to reserve some copies."

"So you are a fan!" Kyouya said, smirking, "Here I thought you had no interest in the Host club."

"Ah, I don't," Naomi said smiling, "Some friends I wo- um, know outside Ouran had some of your merchandise that they purchased through connections they had at one time with the publishing company. Mostly they knew someone who worked there and placed orders for them. That person was recently laid off. So when they found out I was attending Ouran they flipped their lid and basically threatened me with a curse if I didn't order a few books and other merchandise from your club."

"I love your friends already!" Kyouya said, his eyes gleaming and chuckling softly "So how many should I put you down for?"

"Well, four," Naomi said, "and I can pay it off today if you don't mind. Oh and here is the shipping information since I figure it'd be nice for them to receive it in the mail, yeah?"

"That will be fine," Kyouya smiled beaming, "That will be four photobooks plus tax plus shipping and handling."

Naomi paid Kyouya the bill in full. Thankfully she had collected the money from her friends that she worked with and went to the bank to make it into larger bills. Otherwise she would have to give Kyouya wads and wads of money and that would be embarrassing enough with her having to order in person. Naomi looked pensive for a moment before asking Kyouya a last question.

"So I assume you have a site for the club" Naomi started and continued as Kyouya nodded a 'yes,' "they take sites like paypal?"

"We're in the process of starting that within the next few months," Kyouya smiled, "any specific reason?"

"It'd honestly make it loads easier for me to have them order your future photobooks for themselves," Naomi nodded, "then having to come here, talk to you, and order from you."

"Sorry it was so terrible for you," Kyouya said in mock hurt. He might have been miffed if she had been someone of status, looked a bit cuter than how she looked presently and hadn't purchased a huge order which would definitely help with the bill that Honey incurred due to his dessert habits, "Perhaps you would be more interested in one of our hosts?"

"No, no," Naomi frowned and shook her head, "It'd simply be more convenient for my friends to have them order the merchandise on their own instead of pawning it off on me."

"Plus having to come here, talk to you, place an order," Naomi thought to herself, "would mean I'd learn more and more why I might develop a crush on you. You're a dangerous man, sempai"

Kyouya stared at the girl who was over thinking about something but then she flicked her eyes back to him, smiled and bowed her head. He heard her say her goodbyes and mumbling about needing to study. Not one to be a bad host, he escorted her to the door and made sure to let her know she was free to stop by and use their services if she so wished. She blushed and shook her head furiously, her pig tails swinging slightly and simply said no thank you and jolted out the room and down the hallway.

"What a peculiar girl," Kyouya said as he went back to doing business.

_*end flashback*_

Kaoru stopped at Naomi's picture and Naomi could see the smirk that occurred on Hikaru as he instantly shared the same opinion about her and her fashion. Needless to say Naomi was dressed completely like a nerd in high school. She wanted to give an impression of an impressive intellect and keep others from approaching her too closely. It worked wonders. Her hair was rarely styled in a hip or youthful way. She'd opted for pig tails which caused Hikaru to mimic Doumyouji from Hana Yori Dango making fun of Makino when she opted for what was a poor-woman's hair style.

To complement her look she decided to forgo her contact lenses and wore glasses that could have been described as homely and nerdy. The large black rims were too big for her face. The shape of the frames were simply wrong for her face shape. They had looked like glasses that had been fashionable in another decade though more likely another lifetime. She had decided to wear the yellow monstrosity that was the female uniform which she loathed with every fiber of her body. The nauseating yellow dress was so tight on her upper body that it caused her not to be able to move in an unladylike way down to the itchy white stockings. This alone wanted her to give up on an elite's education.

However, it always went back to what Ootori had told as she toured the grounds as an upcoming freshman. His words spurred her onward in excelling at Ouran and later at university. She had nothing to lose but so much to prove. She wanted to show that her mother's daughter was not going to end up like her mother. Even if she'd never become wealthy or marry into the right family or move in the right circles, she'd be successful. Subconsciously she knew that it would take more than excellent grades to be recognized on a basic level by her father's family. Low expectations were what she had of them whenever she dealt with her father's family.

In the end they simply were forced to take off their blinders on as she not only excelled Ouran, graduating as valedictorian but at her respective universities gaining some the highest marks, never once dipping below the top ten percent of her class. She was accepted in the prestigious universities that her half-sisters could not even be considered as candidates. "Even now they can't hold a light to me," Naomi said to herself in an almost mantra like way. She'd conditioned herself to believe this as not to be swept away in the currents of self doubt and low self esteem and the barrage of insults and sneers that they'd constantly throw at her when given the chance. They had a nasty penchant to hit below the belt and if caught unawares, Naomi would be sent reeling.

Despite never being able to buy her father's company and as an ultimate jab have him manage the company, she did feel that she equally succeeded the way Ootori had. She had excelled academically and graduating valedictorian had allowed her to go through school solely on scholarships and grants. When she graduated she had the freedom to choose her future. She'd taken great delight that while she'd been the only one capable in her father's family to run the business she refused. The elders called her brazened and insulted her and her ancestry but it didn't matter to Naomi. She knew that they knew they needed her and refusing them was a means of closing a chapter of hurt and pain they'd inflicted on her while she was a child. It was a means of avenging her mother's untimely passing and all the pain and bitterness that had led up to that point in both of their lives.

That freedom also allowed her to pursue her true dream. She'd always had an aptitude for baking. Specifically while she studied abroad she had come across a most delectable dessert: the pie. It was a simple and basic concept. A pastry shell that could be made of various ingredients was filled with a number of different types of fillings. Then there were the toppings alone. All these choices and the ability to make one of the sweetest desserts or one of the most disgusting if not properly chosen intrigued Naomi. She'd also come across pies for dinner. It was something she had at first thought was utterly disgusting then she tried chicken pot pie then Shepard's pie. It was incredible to Naomi that what was essentially a dessert could also be eaten as dinner. However delectable a "dinner" pie was, her heart laid with the pie.

There had been a lot of emotion tied with the pie. Naomi smiled at the simple but delicious strawberry pie. It was the first pie that a boyfriend while she was at university had introduced her to. Jack Thompson was student council president and very dapper in his preppy clothing. She always curious about these kind of men. Growing up, she had surrounded herself with the rougher crowd and in turn, rougher men. The unshaven, brash schoolboys who spit, cursed and played around. She never played around with them but her experience was limited to "bad boy." She had never met such a wholesome young man in her life save the men at Ouran who she tried to keep her distance from. She felt more freedom at university as no one much cared for her past or from what family she hailed from. At Princeton, there were "noble" families who got in because of their family alumni and subsequently, their contributions but it was definitely a much more academic campus.

It had been their first date and he treated her by going to a pie shop located near the campus. She had been apprehensive at first as she saw it's dingy outward appearance from the highway and the lines of trucks. Jack only smiled and comforted her by telling her the wonderful service inside. Once they were seated in what looked to be a throw-back to a diner circa 1950s he ordered for them two slices of strawberry pie with chocolate sodas. This caused Naomi to smile as it reminded her of the movie Grease. She looked around to see if there were any hot rods but found none. What led next was one of the most tantalizing moments in her life. Here she sat enjoying great conversation with a great guy over a really sweet dessert. Jack was shocked when Naomi had told him it had been her first time and blushed considerably at Naomi's joke that cherry would have been more appropriate.

She wanted to learn more about pie making. Naomi decided to enroll herself in baking classes and learned all about pies. This circular confection of perfection did exist. It existed every time she made a pie. Paradise could be found in every bite. It truly was visionary to Naomi even if this dessert was as old as Methuselah. Baking pies represented the long lost joy that she had experienced as a child. Every time she made a pie, any frown would immediately turn upside down, there was joy in baking it, gifting it, receiving it, and savoring it. Every aspect of the pie as perfect as the circle was filled with pure perfect pleasure.

Once out of her nostalgia, Naomi noticed that the group were going back to the senior section of the book. She hated that Kyouya not remembering her or recognizing her was making her feel more and more depressed. Naomi had to suppress the huge urge of connecting face with palm, since she didn't want to feed into her empty infatuation or whatever it was more than she already had. It was perfectly reasonable why Kyouya wouldn't remember or recognize her considering it had been over a decade since he had seen her last. Add then the fact that she had definitely outgrown her uniform, hairstyle and glasses. She continued this like a mantra until her feelings of being miffed were nothing but a memory.

She watched Tamaki flail as he tried to coax the twins into letting him see their yearbook. It seemed Tamaki had desperately wanted to see Haruhi as a senior once again. This caused Haruhi to become exasperated at Tamaki. She gave up explaining that the year book didn't matter since she was standing beside him. However Tamaki wouldn't hear anything of it and started once again to look over the pages. He was commenting frantically about how beautiful and intelligent Haruhi was. Then it started, Tamaki became very emotional and couldn't help it.

"Tono!" Hikaru said admonishingly. "Don't get your tears on our book!"

"But, Haruhi looked so beautiful as a senior!" Tamaki said quietly and blushing profusely.

"You saw me almost daily," Haruhi said deadpanned, "The Ouran university was less than a mile away and you made a point to join us for lunch several times a week."

"Yes but I didn't get to be with you as a senior!" Tamaki said factually, "I didn't get to run with you in the sports festival! I didn't get to do a group project with you for the school festival! I didn't—"

Haruhi placed her delicate pointer finger directly onto Tamaki's lips and smiled. It was enough to cause Tamaki to nearly faint and it quickly shut him up. Haruhi smirked and placed a quick peck on Tamaki's cheek.

"Silly," Haruhi said, "We did get to do a sports festival together, we did get to do a school festival together, and what were the Host club themes if not group projects? We spent enough time with each other to fall in love with each other. I think that's plenty, right?"

Tamaki smiled and stayed silent. His mind was working in overtime over the small kiss that Haruhi had given him. It was something so desired yet so unexpected. It had caused him to be utterly speechless. He was beside himself with absolute joy. He was shocked to realize how much he loved her and not in a fatherly way! He still felt so foolish about thinking that his crush on Haruhi stemmed from his loving her like a daughter. He'd been comforted by Kyouya and told that it was most likely due to the chaos within his own family that made him desperately want to cling and preserve the Host Club family at all costs. Falling in love with Haruhi was something Tamaki feared would have caused the breaking up of yet another family.

Since the Ouran Alumni ball, Tamaki had been restless over the news that Haruhi was leaving with Kyouya. There were feelings that were nestled within him that he could not explain. The uneasiness and the annoyance was something that Tamaki was feeling was making him feel shameful. He had loved Haruhi as a daughter so why not feel jubilant for her and Kyouya? Why be filled with so many disturbing thoughts that were so at odds with his supposed father-daughter filial love for Haruhi. It even caused Antoinette, his dear dog, to feel depressed at her master's apparent distress. Tamaki could only cling to Antoinette and apologize for making her feel so worried. He had become resolute to get to the bottom of these feelings.

It was this resolution that everyone was hoping for.

What had also come into question was whether or not Hikaru was still in love with Haruhi. Hikaru smiled and only shook his head. He had a long talk with the group and Honey had wisely commented that Hikaru had fallen in love with Haruhi because she had been the first to enter their world. Naturally she intrigued him however when he had confessed to her it was later realized that he still was too infantile to deal with a relationship as he had very recently began to accept the world and the friendships that lay in wait.

Instead Hikaru nurtured one of the closest friendships he had with another person that was not his twin. He'd always been grateful for meeting Haruhi. She had given him irreplaceable gifts, the gift of recognition and acceptance. Not only had she told them apart but she accepted them as two distinct and unique individuals. That was completely unlike the throngs of fan girls who would only see them as one half of the Hitachiin twins. Even the ones that weren't fan girls would never see him as Hitachiin Hikaru an individual but merely as a twin.

He never realized what he had missed out on and how much until he was in the Host Club and later when he met Haruhi. Haruhi had been the first person to tell them apart. Hikaru never told Kaoru this, but he remembered what that women at told them. He had nearly forgotten all but her name. Mostly because he looked her up to see how she looked in high school. He remembered about her telling them about her being able to tell them apart. Of course there was the initial scoff but he realized later that she had them pegged by their personality to a "t". He flipped back to her picture and began to look at her. He couldn't remember at all, nor could he ever recall that girl ever talking to them. If she had, she'd had definitely been made into one of their stories. Perhaps she was the observant type? If she knew them by their personalities then it shouldn't have been too difficult, right?

"You're wondering if she really could tell us apart, aren't you?" Kaoru whispered knowingly to Hikaru.

"Yeah," Hikaru frowned, "I feel like we were so dependent on the idea that no one could tell us apart that we'd ignore the people who could. I mean, how many really were able to tell us apart but felt that they couldn't approach us?"

"I know we certainly didn't make ourselves all that approachable," Kaoru whispered, "and from the looks of her, she didn't look like the kind who could approach us or maybe kept it that way for whatever reason."

"What are you blabbering about?" Hikaru asked, confused by Kaoru's words.

"It's the eyes," Kaoru replied, "she knows she looks like a hot mess, but I think it was on purpose, to hide something."

"Hide what?" Hikaru asked, looking at the picture more closely.

"I don't know" Kaoru said honestly "I doubt we ever will."

The twins returned to the group before anyone would begin to notice and ask what was going on.

Naomi stared at the group smiling at their stories and gossip. She paused at Kyouya and stared several moments longer than she had with the others. Naomi wondered what he was feeling and thinking, seeing he had not eaten much of the strawberry pie. She took a deep breath calming herself and strode over to where he sat. He looked pensive and she'd hate to interrupt him.

"Don't like strawberry pie?"

"Hm," Kyouya looked up and shook his head, "ah no, I'm not fond of sweets."

"Nothing else tickles your fancy then?" Naomi smiled, her head turning back to indicate her menu.

"Not right now, I'm not really in the mood for pie."

"Suit yourself then," Naomi said as she cleared the plates with the help of Miyoshi, a high school student she hired recently and who had come in to help in the evenings.

She noticed Honey looking up at her with a huge, tear filled eyes.

"Yes?" Naomi said, looking at the boy who had not grown all that much more, "is there something I can do?"

"Do you deliver!" He asked with too much enthusiasm.

Naomi smiled as she secured herself a returning customer in Honey-kun who would undoubtedly be her money maker. He'd even promised to let his friends and those he knew about her shop. Naomi could only thank him profusely because he'd would bring in more customers. Save for a few regulars, she knew she could do with more customers.

Everyone was rearing to go. More than likely to hit a karaoke club before calling their night out officially over. Naomi noticed that Kyouya was taking his time in leaving and soon the others had gone outside, waiting for him. Naomi stared and realized what he needed was pie. A specially made pie that would fit his tastes.

"You know, pie is the best way of dealing with hardships right?"

"Oh?" Kyouya said, smirking, "I highly doubt that's true otherwise we'd have more people getting fat and getting cavities."

"No, not a whole pie," Naomi said laughing, "a slice does wonders when you know how to eat a slice."

"How are you supposed to eat a slice?" Kyouya asked the shop owner.

"Tantalizingly slow," Naomi said smiling, "I spent a summer in Spain and learned all about enjoying food, really enjoying food. You know what, I'm going to do you a favor!"

"A favor?" Kyouya asked, his eyes narrowing, "what's the price then?"

"I make you a pie that I know you're gonna love and you let me watch you savor each bite."

"That's it?"

"And tell me what's eating you inside too."

"So there was a catch," Kyouya said, smirking, "You are an odd duck. Why do you care anyways?"

"Hey, it's part of the job description if you didn't know, 'eternal listener: for a price'" Naomi said, chuckling, "bartenders do it with liquor, I do it with pie. So be back here in a week's time, deal?"

Kyouya shook his head and groaned, "I sincerely doubt you will take no for an answer."

"Damn straight," Naomi nodded, "be back in a week, preferably in the evening. You better go, your friends are waiting."

With that Naomi knew she had a week to create this pie as she watched Kyouya exit to meet up with the group who were already nagging him about the conversation he had with the pie shop owner. Naomi could only plaster a smile she hoped would mask the anxiety, the pain in her heart and the sadness in her eyes or at least become a real smile eventually.

Kyouya walked up to the rest of the group, smirking thinking to himself, "What a peculiar girl."

**Author's Note (edited 11/10):**

**1.** Kyouya still thinks she's a peculiar girl but doesn't know that is the same peculiar girl.

**2.** Her change from high school to now is intentional. I'll explain why later on. I did mention briefly the clause that her dad had, right? Yeah it's go to do with that.

**3.** I edited chapter one and I totally forgot to add a disclaimer! Again! orz

**4. **I am going to update this story! C:

**5.** Review please!

**6.** To everyone who followed my story, and left reviews I give my thanks.

**Edit (11/10)**

**7.** Added that disclaimer to chapter one! Huzzah!


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** OC characters belong to me. All else belong to their respective owners and creators. I'm just a broke adult who likes to write for fun.

**Making One's Circumstances**

**Chapter Three**

"Che," Naomi growled as she sat in her small apartment that resided on top of her shop. Torn up pieces of paper laid on the floor once held drawings of different pie combinations. Her pencil held bite marks of one who had become frustrated and perplexed. How could she have been arrogant enough to know what Ootori-sempai's flavor would be? She barely knew the man!

"I'm such a fool!" Naomi said as she laid her head on the small table. Nothing so far really fit Ootori-sempai. She had gone through the basic recipes and some of its amended recipes yet still nothing. Ootori-sempai could not like such a basic and simple pie like apple pie. Even if in the French tradition or as a savory pie she simply could not see Ootori-sempai liking apples.

Taking out a fresh piece of paper Naomi wrote on top of the page simply "What I know about Ootori-sempai" and proceeded to make notes. Her first bullet point simply read "Focused" and he certainly had a lot of focus. Enough focus to not only get top marks through out his academic career but excel in business while he was still in high school. Naomi could not help but reminisce of her first time meeting Kyouya. Like a book fraying at the edges were her memories that had become so deeply ingrained.

Her second bullet point read "intelligent." Kyouya was very intelligent. That could not be denied by no one. However his intelligence really was something that was not top notch but also incomparable by a smart person. He was intelligent in so many different ways. He was a scholar for sure but he was also intelligent in the ways of social graces, manners, charm and those around him-well those who were of importance.

Her third bullet point read "aware." Kyouya was someone who was always aware of his appearance and always dressed to impress. Even that night Naomi had to admire his sense of fashion sensibility and being wear the latest street-wear so effortlessly and confidently. Not only was Kyouya aware of such things but he was always aware of trends that ranged from fashion, to business. It was as if he wear a nurse able to read the pulse of society. Naomi laughed to herself as she drew in the margins a picture of Kyouya in a stereotypical nurse's outfit.

It was then that Naomi decided that a good night sleep would give her a fresh perspective.

Early next morning Naomi smiled at the dawn that was approaching as she prepared the day's pies. Her menu was relatively simple that held a variety of seasonal fruit pies. Her routine was one that started with the delivery of fresh fruit from the local vendors. The local grocer would also make their deliveries of ingredients as she needed them such as additional flour, milk, eggs, turbinado as well as the whole coffee beans for her espresso machine, and other beverages such as flavored milks, tea, and bottled juices and water.

She started to make several pies of five spice nashi pie that would be served with a ginger and honey cream. Deciding to be a bit bold today she decided to make a square shaped pie resembling more like a tart. Getting out the puff pastry she had prepared the night before, Naomi gathered the rest of her ingredients: the sliced nashi, orange marmalade, butter, Chinese five spice. As for the ginger and honey cream she decided to allow Ebisu-san, her helper, to prepare it as the customers ordered.

For her apple pie, she decided to make two varieties. A savory apple pie that Naomi had created on a whim. She worked gouda cheese into the dough. She paired the brandy-soaked apples with caramelized onions and thin slices of gouda. Naomi created an intricate lattice to place over the filling. They were brushed with an egg wash to give the pies a glazed look. Naomi decided to use fleur de sel -a finishing salt to be sprinkled before serving to customers. This would help bring out and enrichen the flavors of the apples, onions and gouda.

As for the sweet version of ringo pie, Naomi had fallen in love with gjetost-a Norwegian dessert cheese that tasted similar to peanut butter. It was something Naomi was very surprised with. The shell of the pie would be a simple pie crust that used brown sugar. The filling would consist a bottom layer of gjetost, salted caramel and sliced apple topped with sanding sugar and cardamon.

Her last pie would be a cherry and peach that like her savory apple pie would have a lattice on top allowing for the pinks and reds of the pie to peek through. It would be dusted with a light pink sanding sugar. Naomi smiled as she decided to make miniature sized versions of all her pies today. By the time her shop opened she had several pies for each of the flavors and as the day went on she and Ebisu would continue to bake more as needed. They would also take the time to make the special order pies which would be delivered by herself, Ebisu or one of her part timers.

Ebisu came later that morning ready to prepare for the brunch menu which included an assortment of different quiches such as quiche Lorraine (crisp bacon, sauteed onions and swiss cheese), crab quiche, ham and cheese quiche, and vegetarian quiche. Naomi had also decided to add empanadas and piroshky. Ebisu had one day asked Naomi why they were adding those items to the menu and Naomi's response was a smile and a simple response, "My mother was of Spanish and Russian descent, I thought it would be nice to have them on the menu in her memory." It had become popular among in her neighborhood. It was interesting to see businessmen come to stop by for an early lunch and to have housewives stop in and order to go or have their luncheons.

Naomi was back up stairs taking a nap. With the long hours that the shop was open she would help start baking pies for the early morning rush so that by eight a.m. when Ebisu would come in all he would have to start preparing was the brunch menu. It was during this time that Naomi would quietly go up stairs and sleep until when the shop would open. Though if the shop was not insanely busy as it sometimes it could be then Ebisu would allow Naomi to sleep in to well past the lunch hour. It was the least he could do for Naomi. She gave him a job when no other place would hire him. Plus she would always do the early morning preparation work that her up as early as five a.m. It was certainly the least he could.

"Welcome to Bite of Heaven, how may I assist you today, gentlemen?" Ebisu said professionally and warmly to the two good-looking men.

"I want a slice of the peach and cherry pie please," the shorter but very cute young man said enthusiastically. "He wants a slice of the savory apple pie please."

Ebisu nodded thinking it very odd that the taller man was so silent that when the shorter man had placed an order for the taller man, that taller man simply made a short noise of approval. How very odd he thought but knew better than to question it.

"Where's the owner today?" The shorter boy said a bit despondently, "I was told I could see her today about placing some orders."

"Ah, yes! yes!" Ebisu said bowing slightly, "She is up stairs for the moment. Allow me to complete your order and escort you to your table and I will have her visit your table. Now sirs what beverage would you like with your orders? And would you like your pie heated up? Ala mode?"

"I would love a chocolate milk," the shorter young man said, "and he will take a cappuccino. And we both would like the pies heated up and definitely ala mode for me please."

Ebisu nodded and first escorted the two gentlemen to a table that was away from direct sunlight and that was not near any vents or too close to the bathroom. For some reason he felt as if they were the type that would get the best table in any establishment hands down. He took the slices of pie, heated them and placed a generous scoop of vanilla bean ice cream onto the slice of peach and cherry pie. Ebisu served the slices of pie and beverages to the gentlemen. He bowed slightly, and looked up happy to see that they were enjoying their slices of pie.

"I will send for Naomi," Ebisu said smiling, "She shall visit you shortly."

Naomi stretched and let out a symphony of grunts, mewls and groans. She went to the bathroom to freshen up. She splashed cold water illiciting a gasp. She patted her face dry and looked into the mirror. Ebisu had told her that Mori-sempai and Honey-sempai were both here enjoying themselves but Honey-sempai had requested to see her personally.

Naomi smiled as she took out her make-up. She needed to look on her "A-game" and that entailed her putting on foundation, concealer, some blush and bronzer to give her a healthy glow, eyeshadow, mascara, eye liner and finished off with lip liner and a touch of gloss. She decided to go with a metallic dark grey eyeshadow on the creases and white to highlight her arches with a touch of bronzer to bring out her hazel eyes that had flecks of gray.

Naomi brushed her hair and put on a black and white polka dotted bandanna knotting it at the nape of the neck. She mussed up her strawberry blond hair permed in a finger wave perm and put it into a messy bun. Naomi looked over her outfit which included a simple hot pink tank top with a sleeveless button up cotton vest in a deep forest green. She fixed her simple khaki-colored trousers and completed the look with a pair of deep green suede open toe slingbacks.

Naomi walked downstairs and was greeted with an enthusiastic Honey-sempai waving for to come and sit him and Mori. She sat down and smiled.

"What can I do for you, Haninozuka-san?" Naomi said as respectfully as she could resisting the urge to muss up his hair. She noticed his pout and glare.

"You can call me Honey," he said with a slight pout that got more pouty, "Unless you don't want to?"

"Oh no, oh no," Naomi said as she could feel herself wince slightly, "I only meant to treat you respectfully as a client however if you wish and grant me permission to call you Honey-san I would be glad to oblige."

"Great!" Honey-sempai said smiling, "Mori, and you can call him Mori-san, and I loved your pies! I am already on my third piece! They're so yummy! I would love for you to cater my tea parties and brunches that my families hold every Sunday. I noticed that you have a breakfast menu as well?"

"Yes," Naomi nodded, "while I specialize in pies, I am quite adept at making quiches, empanadas, piroshkies, as well as miniature or bite sized portions of my menu."

"That's amazing, but I notice that your menu changed from the last time I was here?" Honey-sempai said a bit despondently, "I had wanted to try that strawberry and.. rhubarb pie."

"Yes, my menu changes to the whim of Mother Nature," Naomi smiled, "Basically I use whatever ingredients are in season and incorporate them into my menu. For the most part I do admit that I have a go-to menu that I have compiled for certain ingredients but there are times when I like to change it up."

"That's amazing but how do I get that slice of strawberry and rhubarb pie?" Honey-sempai said with more focus than a chess player at Japan Open.

"I have a binder with every single pie creation I have done since I have opened my shop a couple years back. They all come with great visuals and serving suggestions and recommendations for what kind of events would be best for everything on my menu. I do update it as I come up with new creations. I will be adding my nashi pie later this week."

"I want to see the binder please and how do I go about ordering?" Honey-sempai said a bit more elatedly knowing he'd finally be able to try that strawberry and rhubarb pie.

"Let me get the binder for you as well as the order form," Naomi stood up and went back into her small office retrieving her binder filled with laminated pages of everything her shop offered. She returned and sat down opening to the page that featured the strawberry and rhubarb pie and smiled at Honey-sempai's reaction.

"Well we have an order form where you can list as many pies as you like which are all labeled," Naomi pointed to the page that had the pie labeled with a letter and set of numbers, and then pointed to the order sheet, "and on the order sheet you write down the label and a small description. The description is to make sure there's no goof ups on my part when I'm reading the order. Lastly write down the quantity of pies you're ordering."

"The back side of the order form," Naomi flipped the order form around and pointed, "is where you fill out details about where you would want it delivered; any specific instructions such as leaving the order with a specific staff member and, or entrance; time in which your event will take place and we always arrive a good half hour for prep work which includes warming pies as needed; plus indicate if you will need us to help set up the plates or to serve the pies as that will affect the overall cost as well. That's pretty much it."

Everything after that was a blur for Naomi. Honey-sempai had made a pretty large initial order which pleased Naomi and Ebisu to no end. With Honey-sempai as a client that meant large and consistent orders which meant that Naomi wouldn't have to worry about making rent and it may have meant that she could pay a few months worth of rent. With Ebisu quickly catching on and having a real talent for baking meant he could easily become manager of the kitchen. Naomi was happy to relinquish some control as it meant that Ebisu would be guaranteed a higher wage and a better benefits package.

That was wonderful news for Ebisu. He had been in a steady relationship with his high school love that had long since started in childhood. The two, Ebisu and Chiyako, had been next door neighbors and played together often in the neighborhood park. They went to the same preschool, elementary school, middle school and high school. After graduating, Ebisu had decided that learning a trade was best for him and found that baking was his passion. His, now fiancee, had decided that going on to university and becoming an office lady was good enough for her. Now they were both twenty-seven years old and with Ebisu as manager of the kitchen was able to support his family on his income alone. They had planned for a summer wedding and through a miraculous doing by Kami-sama, had found an opening on an auspicious date.

Then the reality of how quickly the week was flying by meant that Naomi was quickly going to lose her proposition with Ootori-sempai. Whatever high she had been flying on had dissipated and she was now sitting down at a table wondering what she should do. Perhaps a little reconnaissance would do wonders? First order of business was to bake a pie as a congratulatory gift for the new couple, Tamaki and Haruhi. She knew Tamaki well enough were it wouldn't have been a complete surprise and would not create any confusion as to why she was there.

She pressed the intercom of the Suoh mansion as the head maid answered.

"Hello, my name is Sakuriki Naomi and I am the owner of Bite of Heaven for who Tamaki has been a long-standing and respected patron," Naomi held up the pie to the camera "I came to drop off a congratulatory gift for Suoh-san and was hoping to be visited upon."

"Suoh Tamaki is busy at the moment but allow me to guide you inside," the intercom crackled, "in the parlor room."

"I'm sorry," Naomi said bowing, "there was static. Am I allowed to wait in the parlor room?"

"Yes, I have sent the butler to retrieve you and your motorbike."

Naomi was ushered inside as she looked around the large and grand foyer. Her mind was a complete blank as she never seen such opulence save for the hotel in which her confession was completely mangled though thankfully she was the only one to know this. Her train of thought went dark as she remembered as a kid she was never allowed to visit her biological father though her mother had tried to get Naomi a part of the household. The only time she was able to visit was when she was snuck into the house through the servant's quarters.

The consequence still made her feel so entirely guilty and so angry at her mother. She had connived her way into the household and when her sperm-donor of a father was confronted he was furious. It had so happened that he had very important and prominent guests over for dinner and business.

He had struck her mother. Naomi was angry and kicked him in the shin calling him every insult that her 6 year old brain could think of. His response was to backhand her and have the nerve to call her an impudent child, a result of being out of wedlock. She remembered how she "che'd" at her father telling him if he had given a damn he wouldn't have made her "out of wedlock." For being 6 years old, Naomi already knew how the world worked and all the insults and labels that went with it but she still held out hope for those dreams like in her fairy tales.

The guilt Naomi felt was learning that the most of the staff were rashly fired for being connected with the incident in any way. These disgruntled workers were angry with Naomi's mom. If they would pass her by chance in the market, or down a street they'd take their time to insult her, yell at her. All she could do was cry and bow her head for forgiveness. Naomi was in a way angry at her mom for believing that this man.. her father would ever look kindly in their direction. It seemed that he wanted nothing to do with them.

Naomi sat down on the large and European-styled couch and waited for Tamaki. Her eyes roamed the large room that held numerous paintings that screamed the-real-deal. There was a few sculptures and a bust of what looked like an ancient Greek woman. Naomi admired the vases of fresh picked flowers as their smell calmed her fraying nerves. She could hear Antoinette barking somewhere in the distance. Perhaps Antoinette was the one keeping Tamaki? He certainly loved his dog and loved to dote on her. Naomi found that completely endearing.

The longer she sat, the more nervous she became. She wondered how long she had been sitting in the parlour waiting for Tamaki. She glanced at her watch and realized that only five minutes had passed. She sighed as she took out her PDA and started doing some work for her shop. She sent a text to Ebisu to see how the shop had been running. She was happy with his response that everything had been going smoothly and that their part-timers were doing really well with building a rapport with the customers.

She heard the door knob turn and she was then confronted with a very smug Ootori-sempai leaning on the doorway. He was impeccably dressed and so on top of the trends it wouldn't have surprised Naomi one bit if his personal stylist was Yoshiyuki Shimazu himself. Ootori was dressed in a pair of designer denim pants that were on the rather slim side. They were a dusty fade blue that had a tint of faded gray undertones. He wore what seemed like imported Italian leather loafers in a rich caramel color. His shirt was a button up linen shirt whose sleeves were rolled up and buttoned with pewter buttons. He completed the look with a fashionable leather bag that was brown-orange which probably carried the latest gadgets from Apple and the latest gadgetry.

In a word Ootori was lust, pure and unfiltered lust. He was lust on legs and darn him if he knew it. The way he casually walked to the couch spoke volumes. He was purposely walking casually that much Naomi knew. He was trying to show off possibly another side of him from the side she had seen at the cafe. Well, all that he thought she had seen. She saw the hidden glances, and the slight disappointed look in his eyes. Being a "two-bit" character, being a background character all allowed her to be observing without risk of being discovered.

Which brought her to the current predicament. Ootori-sempai had shown up while Tamaki was still somewhere unknown. So it could have been one of two possibilities. One, Ootori was also here to call on Tamaki. Two, he was here because he had been waiting for her and figured what her next move had been. It couldn't have been the first possibility in the slightest. If Tamaki wasn't here as the head maid had said then Ootori-sempai could have easily contacted him and met him at some other location.

This brought her to the second and more likely possibility. If Ootori-sempai had figured she would contact his friends to peel back his "onion" then how much of everything that transpired was the work of some larger plan? Was it coincidence that Honey-sempai had suggested that she visit Tamaki in the first place? Or that she should have a taste test with Tamaki? Or the fact that she had been receiving daily texts from Honey-sempai urging that Naomi visit Tamaki the day before the deal would come to an end? Naomi said nothing as she silently skimmed her outgoing text messages and found one of her texts that had exasperatedly told Honey-sempai when she was going to visit Suoh-san.

She turned to Ootori-sempai and smiled.

"You used Honey-san," Naomi paused and quickly added, "He insisted I call him that."

"Yes, he is rather fond of that nickname," Ootori-sempai nodded, "he makes friends easily and in turn wishes for those friends to call him by a nickname. Though I have a feeling it also has to do with the fact that he uses his formal name for business only and does not want to be reminded."

"Yes, well," Naomi moved her PDA around, "I sent a text to Honey-san that I would visit Tamaki-san, and when. He had assured me that Tamaki was free that day. Foolish me did not figure I would need to confirm with the Suoh household."

"Foolish indeed," Ootori-sempai smirked, his smirk growing larger and more devilish seeing Naomi's slight frown and pout, "I take it that you have figured out why you are here?"

"Well, I figure that you want me to play as fairly as possible," Naomi smiled, "However it seems that you did not have any intention of 'playing fairly' as I am sure you are here to have the contest end early with your tasting my pie right here and now."

"You have caught me," Ootori-sempai smiled as leaned back on the arm of the couch, "Truthfully I am a bit busy for the rest of the week and to finish this little but forced contest of yours."

"By all means," Naomi said smiling tilting her head, "Allow me."

**Author's Notes.**

**1.** The recipes I used are from real recipes I researched on Google. the-pie-life. blogspot . and kitchenhacker. net/content/savory-apple-pie and chowhound .chow .com/topics/331830 (for the gjetost) and scandinavianfood .about. (for the basic gjetost and apple pie recipe).

**2.** I wanted to use fruits that could be found in Japan and that were ones that people would commonly associate with Japan. Thanks to this site:

**3.** Regarding the names of fruit I decided to use the same "name" as what my research found i.e. nashi pie (or Asian pear pie) etc.

**4.** I chose her hair color-dyed by the way from this site: . as I pictured Naomi having medium skin with golden undertones and hazel eyes with gray flecks.

**5.** I decided on her make-up by researching on what colors worked with hazel (in cool shades) from this site: makeup. lovetoknow .com/What_Eye_Shadow_Best_Goes_with_Hazel_Eyes .com/What_Eye_Shadow_Best_Goes_with_Hazel_Eyes

**6.** Types of perms found here: hair. lovetoknow .com/Types_of_Perm_Looks Images of different kind of perms found here: hair. lovetoknow .com/Different_Types_of_Perm_Pictures I had decided to use the disheveled finger wave perm found on the site and then have Naomi put it up in messy bun with a part in the middle intact.

**7. **I referenced Japan Open from this site: msoworld .com/mindzine/news/chess/chessinjapan .html

**8.** Information about where I chose Kyouya's stylist: int. kateigaho .com/mar04/street-fashion .html I figured that would fit Kyouya best. I cannot picture him as a "Tokyo Flower Child" that is unless he knew there would be some benefit to it. Though as a choice, I cannot see him in that style.

**9.** Regarding his fashion choice-I admit I am not current on fashion trends so I opted for a hodgepodge of information. Regarding his denim pants (from AskMen) /fashion/fashion_blog/6_fashion_ and for some other stuff this blog even if it's from Osaka or about Osaka fashion: osakanines and for his loafers I had this in mind from Overstock: ?cid=123620&fp=F&mr:trackingCode=551EDBE5-D9D1-DF11-B41F-0019B9C043EB&mr:referralID=NA Or also known as "Pitti Men's 'Franco Liscio' Italian Leather Slip-on loafers"

**10.** I am going to reveal what his tastes will be or at least what Naomi thinks.

**11.** She calls Ebisu and Chiyako by their first names only because they're all very close to each other-like family. Basically they're her new family C:

**12.** For those who have subscribed to the story, thank you so much! I appreciate it immensely!

**13.** orz please review! While yes I do love subscribers I would love to know what you all think! Like are the chapters too long?

**14.** I cannot believe it myself! I have added the third chapter! Now onto the fourth! C:

**15.** Sorry for all the sites, but I like showing where I get my references and if I get some of the styles wrong suggest site I can use as research please. Thanks ^^


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Everything is owned by its respective owners I only own my OC.**

**Additional Note: I am such an idiot. I actually had this chapter finished and was sure I had posted it. Talk about epic fail.**

**Please read and review. I don't get much feedback but I appreciate it all. (I even allow all reviews even anonymous so don't feel shy).**

**Making One's Circumstances**

**Chapter Four**

Naomi tilted her head and let out a large smile, "Allow me."

Her heart was pounding rapidly and her palms felt sticky with sweat. She was nervous. She looked down at her outfit and cringed. While she was moderately fashionable she was by no means in her A-game.

She wore a pair of skinny jeans that were a bit too faded to be cool. Thankfully their fraying hem was hidden inside the pair of her black biker boots that had a number of buckles and zippers. Plus she had decided to not wear her other pair that had several rips on both along the legs and at her knees.

Naomi wore a simple black vest whose lapels were completely studded with a white v-neck tank-top underneath. She finished her look with a wide leather bracelet with a column of three grommets all the way around, a simple black leather belt, and black leather watch.

She also realized as much as she hated to so that it was her arrogance had led her to this moment. There was no way she could have possibly known what "his pie" was. She didn't know him well enough! Even if she wanted to know more than she wanted to admit. Even if daydreaming about knowing what Ootori-sempai's pie made her feel uncharacteristically elated. Even if she had to slowly admit to herself that she wished herself to be like a heroine in some fairy tale where figuring out the Shadow Prince's pie meant they were destined to be with each other and have their story end with "happily ever after." Those days of fairy tale castles, princes, princesses and horse-drawn carriages were torn and thrown out in her childhood though a few scraps still lingered as sheer hope.

Naomi killed those thoughts because she didn't want to become another fangirl. While she still romanticized a little, for the most part, nearly all romantic notions had died with those pictures her mother had torn. There was no point in reveling in daydreams and romantic whims as it would always end with heartbreak. Even now though she was struggling to remove the last thought that made her heart race about Ootori-sempai being "the only exception." It didn't help that Hayley's voice was singing softly in the back of her mind. The thought was making her even more nervous.

The longer she daydreamed about Ootori-sempai or reminisced about her time at Ouran the closer she was in having to admit that maybe, only if a maybe, that there was something more to her admiration to Ootori-sempai. Perhaps it started as admiration of a great, courageous and incredible senior however it was quickly evolving into something more. Why else did she act so ridiculously at the Alumni Ball? If it were only to thank Ootori-sempai for his speech which helped her become the young woman today then wouldn't a thank you note and a grand gift basket ha e sufficed? Maybe there was more to it all but she didn't want to think about that right now. Right now she had to think about the mess she had gotten herself into.

She slowly stood up with her leather jacket draped over one arm and held up her large blue and white polka-dotted square bag as she pursed her lips, "May we please take this to the kitchen? I doubt the Suoh residence would be pleased with your eating in the parlour. Besides, I need to warm this up in order for the full flavor of the... of what I made for you to come out."

"Almost slipped up there for a moment," Ootori-sempai said nodding as he led the baker to the servant's kitchen as the chef's kitchen and adjacent baking station was busy preparing for the weekend banquet for the Suoh corporation, "Here's the servant kitchen."

"Servant's kitchen?" Naomi said as she looked at the smaller kitchen in the style of an English cottage. The white cabinets held clean white china, glasses and the appliances looked new and shiny. They were definitely top-of-the-line. The kitchen had a butler's pantry that was filled with an array of products, spices, and kitchen gadgets.

"This is the servant's kitchen for their own personal use and meals. They have several live-in maids who live in the servants' quarters. The chef's kitchen and baking station are occupied for the banquet this weekend. I figured that you would probably feel more comfortable here. Do I really make you that uncomfortable?"

"Not you per say," Naomi shook her head slowly, and silently thought for a few moments, "I'm a bit nervous on this wager of mine. I'm afraid I bit off more than I could chew and I realize that I never quite set up the wager in case I lost. So it seems I'm at your mercy."

Naomi remembered Ootori-sempai's reputation as the "Shadow King" and was not pleased at putting herself into that position.

"I promise I will not bite," Ootori smirked devilishly opening the door of the servant's kitchen as Naomi passed, and whispered near her ear, "well not hard anyways."

Naomi blushed as she entered the kitchen and before she could stop herself, "Che, you're such a cad."

Ootori laughed as he watched her get down to business. Naomi smiled as she shooed him to the small table at the other side of the kitchen in the breakfast nook. She preheated the oven and took out her tart. It would only take a few minutes but she wanted the ingredients to warm up again releasing its natural oils and flavors.

"Do you know where the wine cooler is?" Naomi said taking out the wine.

"They don't have an electric wine cooler here in this kitchen but I think we have an alternative." Ootori-sempai took out a sterling silver bucket and filled it with ice as Naomi placed the bottle into the bucket.

"I chose Chenin Blanc which goes well with the savory aspect of my tart. I chose a 2006 Husch Chenin Blanc. I really like the aroma of the honeysuckle and white peach."

"Impressive," Ootori said simply. It may have been a simple one word compliment however both knew that it was not one to be taken lightly. "I did not realize you were so well informed regarding wines."

"Truth be told though I'm no sommelier," Naomi laughed, "I rely on Google and wine magazines."

"Well if I had brownie points to give I certainly would have given you some for being so well versed with your wine," Ootori-sempai smiled and Naomi could feel her chest tighten, "and for knowing what is a sommelier."

"Thank you I suppose," Naomi smiled as she took out the tart allowing for it to sit for a minute or two. She walked over to the wine and held it out to Ootori-sempai.

"If you do not mind," Naomi said bashfully, "I always have the hardest time opening up a bottle."

"The pleasure is all mine," Ootori-sempai said as he expertly opened the bottle of wine and poured himself a glass. He held up a second glass and pointed it towards to Naomi inquisitively causing Naomi to nod. He smiled and poured a second glass and placing it across the table.

Naomi served each of them a piece of the tart.

"So you don't seem like a dessert person to me," Naomi said smiling, "Well at least publicly?"

"True," Ootori-sempai smiled, "Publicly, and privately, I am not into sweets. Sometimes I will indulge but generally they are usually on the savory end on the sweetness spectrum."

"Well this is going to sound silly but I wanted to see if I could make something that represented you as a person." Naomi sighed and bit her lip, "I realized that there was no way I could ever make your favorite flavor or a pie that you would love. I know I'm arrogant when it comes to pies. I know that I can be impulsive. I know that I can also be a bit foolish at times. Unfortunately all three met at once and led me to make that wager."

"We were both a bit vague but I will have to hold you to your own rules then," Ootori-sempai smirked as he watched Naomi pout, "I know you that you probably did not make a pie I would love but I am willing to see what you made for me."

"I decided to make a pear and blue cheese tart. I thought that you are such an onion."

"I make other people cry?" Ootori smiled, "Well I have been known to have that ability usually because of fangirls, or their jealous lovers, or because my greatness knows no bounds and it simply causes others to weep with frustration then there is my adventures in my bedroom..."

"No not because of that at all," Naomi said a bit taken aback as she made a "tch" with her throat, "It's not because of how great you are. If you haven't noticed I haven't had to turn around less my face melt off because of how great you are."

"Want to do that now?" Ootori-sempai interjected, "I mean I would hate for you to go permanently blind because you were staring at my greatness for too long."

"Ha!" Naomi let out a short but loud chuckle, "I doubt that blindness will be the least of my problems. Maybe being knocked onto my butt because of your rather large head..."

"Hey now keep it above the belt," Ootori interrupted.

"Oh my god!" Naomi said with a slightly horrified look on her face, "Ew! Just eat your tart and let me continue on explaining why I chose the ingredients I chose!"

Ootori-sempai smiled as he mentally ticked a "one" in his favor. He had a lot of fun riling up the baker. She seemed vaguely familiar but he couldn't put his finger on it. All he knew was that it was going to give him a headache if he couldn't figure this mystery out. It was the only reason why he even agreed to this silly wager of hers.

"You're an onion," Naomi started again.

"We've established this and I think it's safe to say it is because I make people cry. I certainly made you cry, at least inwardly, when you were so boldly talking about my.."

"It's because you've got layers!" Naomi said in an exasperated tone.

"I'm only wearing one layer of clothes unless your littler perverted mind is thinking about the unmentionables I am wearing under my clothes.."

"No!" Naomi said

"I'm kidding," Ootori-sempai chuckled as he took a bite of the surprisingly delicious tart. He couldn't give this cute little baker a break even if she visibly calmed down, "I don't wear any at all."

"Oh my god," Naomi groaned and held her hands to her face inadvertently doing a facepalm, she did not want to be inundated with the visuals of Ootori-sempai in only his unmentionables more Naomi could not stop the blush as she tried to desperately to stop her mind from actually thinking of what he would look like with those unmentionables as well as without would be futile. "Just let me continue!"

"All right, all right," Ootori-sempai nodded as he ticked yet another in his mind, pleased at how easy it was to rile up the cute little baker, "This is quite good."

"Thank you," Naomi sniffed, "I used caramelized onions because you've got a lot of layers to you. There are the layers that you show publicly and the layers you show privately. There are then there are some layers that you've only shown to your closest friends and I suspect that there are some layers that you've only shown to one person in particular."

Naomi watched Ootori-sempai as he stared at her unsure to make of what she was saying to him. She took his silence as a gesture to go on. She decided to be a little bold with her observations.

"How long have you been in love with Fujioka-san?"

"What?!" Ootori-sempai said a bit more loudly then he realized as he sat back as if flinching from what Naomi was saying almost choking on the small piece of tart. He took a gulp of wine to wash down the delicious tart. Her impertinent question caused Ootori-sempai to exclaim his own simple exasperated question. His flinching and shock at being discovered only affirmed what Naomi thought. There was no way she could misunderstand and think he was simply shocked much to Ootori's chagrin. He honestly had no other choice but to confirm her question. "How did you know?"

"The other night I was observing your group for some time and when you guys were talking about the cocktail story," Naomi smiled as she fought off her anger since she was the cocktail story, "about how the girl was confessing her so called undying love to you.. well you seemed like someone who desperately wished it was true."

"Hn," Ootori said simply and Naomi knew it would be the end of that. Though she wanted to be someone he could eventually trust and right now it seemed wrong to push him to open up. Though she stared at him and with his silence it only confirmed what she had already guessed. Ootori-sempai sighed as he realized that it was better to set the story straight before Naomi created any wild gossip based on her imagination. And if her pies were any indication then she was a very creative person.

"I've loved her for many years," Ootori-sempai said quietly, "really since high school. Ever since she made me come out with her and spend the day with her did I realize how much I was beginning to love her. But.."

"Then there was Hikaru and Tamaki.." Naomi nodded as she widened her eyes, she was not quite ready to discuss her time at Ouran or the fact that she was the girl that was at the helicopter launch pad. She knew Ootori-sempai was curious as to how she knew about the love triangle. "Tamaki has been a patron of my shop since I first opened. He had so many stories to tell about Ouran and he did talk about what Renge-san had discussed."

She could see Ootori-sempai visibly let out a sigh of relief. The tension that had built up in his shoulders and the base of his neck had dissipated but not by much. He still wondered how much she had observed the other night. She was spot on regarding his love for Haruhi and if he wasn't mistaken there seemed to be a little sadness to Naomi's eyes when she said that.

Why though? For all he knew they had only met the other night? Did she feel sorry for him? Pity him for being the man who wouldn't fight for his love? Or that really he couldn't fight for his love because he didn't want to jeopardize his friendship with Tono? Because he couldn't jeopardize his family's relationship with the Suoh family? Because in the end, no matter how successful he had become, he still lived in the shadow of his father and the desperate need of his father's approval. That no matter what if he had pursued Haruhi-san he would have been seen less than his two elder brothers who were well on their way of having excellent careers and marrying into formidable families with excellent connections. While he loved Haruhi that was certainly true but he loved Tono more. He didn't want to hurt Tono especially when it took him all this time to realize his love for Haruhi.

Yet now after all these years a relative stranger was able to catch onto his feelings? That meant he was showing more than he realized. He decided that it was crucial that he think on this later. It would do him no good if he were to get on bad terms with Tono if this information was ever leaked out. While the cute little baker did not seem like the type to use that information maliciously or as extortion he was nevertheless a cautious man. He would take the necessary steps to persuade Naomi in keeping quiet. He would let her finish her charming presentation and then he'd discuss business with her.

Naomi deep down was still nervous having known of Ootori-sempai's penchant for control. Right now her observation of him meant this was a considerable risk. Given his and tono's high status it did not really shock her all that much. Ootori-sempai was silently observing her right back and wondered what risk calculations he was performing in his head. One thing was for certain, he was going to discuss it later with her after her presentation. She took a deep sigh and continued.

"Well I figured that you were one that liked interesting combinations that were unique or that could show off your worldliness. So I chose a Danish cheese, a Blue Castello, because I liked the lingering after-taste that reminded me of mushrooms. I decided to pair it with a fruit and nashi seemed like the natural choice. We've got the European meeting the Asian."

"It's delicious," Ootori-sempai took another bite and closed his eyes chewing as he concentrated on the flavors. "There's something else I taste."

"I used pecan flour to make the crust to make it unique since most tarts use chopped pecans and I added some fennel for added flavor."

"I can't say this enough," Ootori-sempai smiled as he took another bite, "It's delicious and so that's why you chose that wine? To go with the Blue Castello?"

"Well the Blue Castello is the more prominent flavor so I decided to pair the wine with the boldest flavor in the tart. So it seemed like a logical choice. That's why I chose this particular wine because the aroma would go well with the cheese and its flavor would complement the cheese and the other ingredients."

"You know your craft well," Ootori-sempai said, "However since the terms of the wager was that you create a pie that you know I am going to love I took that to mean you were going to make my favorite pie."

"So you have a favorite flavor?"

"Yes, as you said earlier I am indeed fairly worldly and I do indeed have a favorite flavor."

"But couldn't we chalk it up to a misunderstanding and say bygones be bygones?" Naomi smiled and tilted her head. As she continued to stare at Ootori's smirk, her smile faltered.

"Where would the fun be in that?" Ootori-sempai smiled as he took a small forkful of his tart. "I admit this tart is indeed delicious and your creativity and thoughtfulness is impeccable but you still lost the bet. Yes on a technicality," as he saw Naomi was about to interrupt, "but that means you still lost the bet."

"All right, I can accept that." Naomi smiled and sighed, "Go easy on me please."

"Well I always did prefer women to be hard to get personally, but if you insist," Ootori-sempai smirked.

"Enough with the perverted comments!" Naomi said becoming flustered once again, "What do I have to do since I lost the bet?"

"Well I haven't given much thought to it personally," Ootori-sempai lied, as he realized that it was a lot of fun watching the baker squirm in her seat. "However in a few days time I will stop by your shop and we can discuss it then. I am willing to give you the home court advantage."

"You're so kind," Naomi smiled as she finished her slice of the tart, "and do you mind if I put this as a catering choice at my shop? I really did outdo myself didn't I?"

"You're so humble," Ootori-sempai said sarcastically and added a smile, "However humbleness is overrated. Personally I like women who can be confident in their success and know how great they are."

Naomi smiled and looked at her watch. It was quickly approaching the afternoon rush and she wanted to be there to help out in the shop.

"Sorry Ootori-san but I have to get going soon since the afternoon rush is going to leave Ebisu in a serious pinch and will need me there to help out." Naomi smiled as she put the wine and pie away, "Even if I did lose the bet on a technicality it was a lot of fun talking to you."

"The pleasure is all mine," Ootori-sempai smiled as he helped her pack up, leaving the dishes in the sink for the servant to wash and dry after the pair left.

"Thank you," Naomi nodded.

"In a few days time then?" Ootori-sempai said.

"Yes, if you don't mind coming in the evening? Say around 7 o'clock? Usually by then the shop is winding down crowd-wise and I'll be able to grace you with my undivided attention." Naomi smiled as she put on her leather jacket.

"Ha," Ootori-sempai left out a short chuckle, "You're quite the charming and humorous little baker."

"Thank you," Naomi smiled, "I try."

"Well 7 o'clock it is," Ootori-sempai smiled, as they exited the front door with their respective mode of transportation waiting in the curved driveway that seemed to go on endlessly, "And Ms. Sakuriki it has been a most pleasurable encounter but I would like that the some tidbits conversed earlier to be kept between us?"

"Ah yes of course," Naomi nodded, grinning widely "I was wondering when you were going to talk business. I take it that we're going to talk about this secret at length next time?"

"Yes," Ootori-sempai nodded pleased by her cleverness, "I do have to take immeasurable precaution given the precarious nature of my situation, as well as the people and the families involved."

"Well until then," Naomi zippered her lips with her fingers. She waved to Ootori-sempai who nodded and smiled as he slipped into the back seat of the black sedan. The chauffeur kept his head down in the utmost respectful manner a servant could do. The door closed with a soft thud and a click and the chauffeur briefly stared at Naomi and sniffed. It was one of those you-are-clearly-not-good-enough sniffs and Naomi rolled her eyes. She could never understand the pompousness of the servants of these all might noble families. If there was one thing she learned from that night it was that people were expendable.

Naomi frowned and sighed and forced herself to think of what transpired this afternoon. She was able to have a good conversation with Ootori-sempai. They ate an incredible little meal and conversed. She had to admit that she loved his naughty and devilish nature. While it was bit of a surprise it was a great balance of a good guy like Jack Thompson and the rumbustious schoolboys of her past. Then Ootori-sempai had said "I like women who can be confident." Even if he loved Haruhi did that mean he in the very least saw her favorably? Could she even go on a limb and believe that he meant to say "I like you, Naomi."

It felt as if she was given a roll of tape and she was slowly taping the torn pieces of paper back together. Maybe fairy tales of her childhood didn't exist literally but in some ways it did exist here and now. Even if there was no fairy godmother or anything fantastical like that in real life it still gave her hope. With her own grit and determination she was going to write her own story and it was going to be one heck of a story. It might not necessarily have to include a prince...or a shadow king her mind added half a beat later. Her heart skipped a beat and she ignored it. Her mother might have been angry and disappointed in her daughter now but right now she felt like an utter princess. Naomi had a huge grin the whole afternoon.

Author's Notes:  
1. About her outfit: Thanks to Alloy for the vest look images/products/168432_blac_

2. Thanks for Google for helping find a recipe for a pea, caramelized onions, and blue cheese tart. I decided to add in the fennel into the crust.

3. I chose the cheese and the wine from this site: gourmetsleuth.  
com 

4. I chose the wine thanks to Google after I searched for the kind of wine I was looking for.

5. Thanks for this site for helping remember what the term was (for sommelier) /luxury-living/what-is-the-other-name-for-a-wine-connoisseur/

I'm sorry if I made Ootori-sempai a bit OOC. I wanted him to feel a bit comfortable with Naomi to make some jokes. I'll explain why he's feeling so chummy later.

Please review the story. I love reviews. I love knowing what people hate or love about the story. If you don't like it you're doing me a disservice not telling me what you hate about it. Especially if there are huge plot holes, or grammar errors or characters that I am not capturing correctly. If you love it please leave your reviews C: What do you love about it?

I know that I am deviating from the story but I wanted more time for Tono to grow out of "I love Haruhi because she is my daughter" to "I love Haruhi because she's the one" I will go into that further later into the story.

Sorry for how long it took. Been going through a lot lately.


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